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A Meze Empyrean II resting on a turntable beside a spinning record with an orange label, its silver cable across the plinth

Everything in the shop

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Close up of the black ribbed cup of a Meze headphone, lit low from one side

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How we listen

What we listen for, and what a measurement will not tell you.
A Meze Empyrean II lying on crumpled black fabric, lit from one side, its cable running out of the frame

The listening room

Third floor at 215 E. Lewis Street in Livingston, by appointment.
Headphones
Amps, DACs and in ears
The Best Headphones Around $300

The HD 600 or the HD 650 is the whole question at this money.
The Best Desktop Amps and DACs Around $150

Five desktop amps and DACs around $150.

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Where to start

Buying guidesHeadphonesAmps & DACsCustom headphone cablesGradoMeze AudioGrace DesignRecords
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, three-quarter view
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, side view of the earcup
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, front view
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, close up of the lyre badge on the yoke
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, close up of the earcup edge and grille pattern
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, close up of the yoke arm across the earcup
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, close up of the carbon fiber headband and the II badge
Meze Audio

Meze Audio EMPYREAN II

Price$2,999.00

The second generation of the headphone that put Meze into the high end.
Ordered from the maker when you order, then shipped usually inside two weeks and always inside thirty days. Shipping
Thirty days from delivery to send it back. Returns
Specifications
  • Type Open-back planar magnetic
  • Driver Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array, Isoplanar MZ3
  • Impedance 32 ohms
  • Sensitivity 90 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz
  • Weight 449 g
  • Connection Dual 4-pin mini-XLR
Why it is here

The original Empyrean landed in 2018 and made a lot of people reconsider what a planar could feel like. The II is 449 g, and while the pressure-spreading headband hides the weight well, it is not a light headphone and it never will be. Choose it over the Poet if you want the larger driver and the case full of pads. Choose the Poet if you would rather have the money back.
How it is built

Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array with Isoplanar MZ3 diaphragm, 4,650 mm² active area, fibreglass-infused ABS casing, ovoid 102 mm by 73 mm drivers. Ships with Duo leather and angled Alcantara pads, a mini-XLR to 6.3 mm copper PCUHD cable, and an ABS suitcase.
What it is for

Desktop listening. At 32 ohms and 90 dB it is not fussy about what drives it, but it does want a real amplifier rather than a laptop jack.
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II, three-quarter view
Meze Audio EMPYREAN II Price$2,999.00
Before you buy
How I Listen, and What a Measurement Will Not Tell You

How I listen

A Grado headphone with cherry wood cups and a tan leather strap hanging on a curved cherry Grado stand against a pale concrete wall

The buying guides

A woman in a grey knit sweater listening on wood-cup Grado headphones, eyes closed and one hand raised to the cup, in a dark room

FAQ

Headphones on a pale wood desk striped with bars of afternoon sun, the cable coiled beside them

Shipping

A woman on a brown leather couch listening on Grado headphones, eyes closed and one hand behind her head, two stacked wood-cased amplifier units lit up on the table behind her

Returns

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Can you help me choose?

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